William Sample
Ph.D. Candidate,
Marine Community and Behavioral Ecology Lab
at Florida International University
Will Sample discusses his research on the behavior of juvenile bull sharks within the Florida Everglades using nearly 20 years of movement data, as well as new approaches to classic field methods.
February 4th, 2026 @ 9 AM ET
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PRESENTER BIO
William Sample is a Ph.D. candidate in the Marine Community and Behavioral Ecology Lab at Florida International University. His current research uses long-term historical datasets and novel methods, like high-resolution accelerometry, to study the movement and behavioral ecology of juvenile bull sharks. Will focuses on the way these sharks may be transporting nutrients across habitat boundaries, how they may be optimizing their movements to save energy and what the long-term implications of different roles they specialize in may be. His research in the Florida Everglades studying the ways sharks move through this crucial ecosystem is important for conservation and informing habitat restoration and management efforts. Will earned a B.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Florida Atlantic University in 2018 and has lived throughout Florida, from Jacksonville to the Keys. He is passionate about community outreach and education, particularly regarding Florida’s natural habitats, and serves as the 2024-2026 lead scientist for ANGARI Foundation’s Coastal Ocean Explorers: Sharks hands-on education program.
Ocean Expert Exchange is a live educational webinar series featuring experts in marine science and technology, many of whom have participated in expeditions onboard R/V ANGARI. The 30-minute live events welcome audiences of all ages and include a presentation on the speaker’s area of expertise followed by Q&A with participants. The series is co-hosted by ANGARI Foundation and the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute’s Scientist in Every Florida School program.